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The deadline to send apps for the next podpop is 11:59 pm EST on the last day of the app month. The podpop/newbie entrance and integration periods, when characters can enter the game, take place over the first seven days of month after the app month, barring plot delays, which will be noted in this section as soon as we're aware of them. App Processing starts when noted in the info at the top of the page.

Any apps sent by newbies after the end-of-month deadline will not be podpopped until the next podpop after.

Warning: App rules will change as the game progresses, based on the manageability of the game, to limit apps more and more as the game progress, until they're closed to run through the rest of the main plot. Please be aware of this when joining. As it's run like a campaign, we will reach a point where we've reached full capacity.

The following is some information about apping. The first section is not required, just suggested. The second section is enforced more. If you have a character that doesn't seem to fit the first section, but at least doesn't fit the second section, either, give them a try! By all means, app, they'll probably fit in anyway. We just want to spur some ideas if you're wondering what kind of characters we need.

Magical characters will have their place, where they sometimes are a great asset against enemies, but sometimes are powerless against them, so keep that in mind.

With Anime, characters are accepted, especially if they're from sci-fi animes, but we might reject anime characters from fluffy shoujo comics, just because they'd die REALLY quickly. It really depends on how floofy and defenseless the character is.

Medium isn't so much important though--it's genre. If your character isn't somewhat hardy or adaptable enough to adjust, they will not be able to survive. (Unless you don't mind potentially killing them off).

Support staff, like doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists, and other skilled individuals are also especially needed.

Supervillains and villains can certainly be apped—and are definitely something we want—though they'd have to be very clever if they ever tried to hurt the crew, and if they aren't and get caught, there's nothing stopping the crew from leaving them on a moon somewhere or killing them, so keep that in mind if you app a villain. A circumstance later in the game will make apping them more interesting and give them more freedom for evil.

Reporters/politicians/lawyers/writers/diplomatic types. There will be need.

Child characters. They'll be needed as bait! For a few plots, actually, and we have reasons they'd be there.

Mundane people! Badass normals especially, but you don't need superpowers or even badass skills to fit in here, as long as the person can learn and has good survival instincts (or can develop them as they go). There are a variety of skills that can be learned, or that a character can have that will eventually be useful in this setting. Eventually your character's skill at flower-arranging could diffuse an alien diplomatic crisis, so don't think just because your guy can't shoot fireballs out of his butt that you can't have fun here.

Cartoons that are kinda goofy. We'd accept Tails from the kinda cool Sonic cartoon where they were all resistance fighters in the forest, but not the one from the really crappy goofy cartoon that came on the same time as the good one. No Bugs Bunny, either--no one wants to see Bugs get killed by a chestburster. Other examples of characters that are too cracky are Kirby and Gabe and Tycho from Penny-Arcade.

The mods have final say on what's too cracky or not. Please respect our judgment on that. If you're not sure if a character will be too cracky or not, you might want to email the mods before you app.

Characters that we can't figure out how to make exist in the physical space of the ship. Keep in mind, we HAVE figured out how AIs and Reboot characters could exist in the game, so there are very few we can't fit, but there are still a few--so ask the mods if you're unsure, before apping.

Historical figures. Abe Lincoln would be weird, for instance, though some, like Chaucer or Shakespeare (though we prefer fiction-based portrayals), we'd make exceptions, if it wouldn't mess with people too horribly.

Generally, we accept OCs if you have a really, really, REALLY good idea. Just like we expect our canon players to play their characters spot on, we expect OCs to be played just as well, and well-made. If you want to give an OC a shot, ask to talk to one of the mods first to shoot your general concept past us (just so we can let you know if maybe, for instance, a character can't have a certain power or something because it'll ruin the plot) and if that mod says to go for it, make sure the app is very thorough.

For OCs, military/sci-fi/superhero and other action types are preferred. They can be an OC from a canon, like an OC engineer from Star Wars (and in fact, we're more likely to accept those). Doctors, Engineers, and other support characters are also characters that are more likely to be accepted. There are no guarantees, though, and if we decline your OC, it's nothing personal. Usually the reason will be because they could somehow interfere with plot or secrets being kept, or because we don't know how well they'll integrate (it's easier to tell with canons, since we're familiar with most of them).

Sometimes we allow characters transplanted from other games, but usually only if the game is a game of the character's own canon (for instance, like a Marvel character in a Marvel game). Contact the mods if you're interested in keeping the character's history from another game. We do this on a case by case basis, and there are no guarantees.

We do not accept non-canon AUs unless they're AU as in the case of game transplants above (they have to have been made AU by game play, not started as an AU). In regards to canon-based AUs (like different incarnations of a character), generally, we don't accept them, but we will consider them on a case by case basis. The three determining factors on whether or not we'll accept another version of a character already in the game are:

Would it be interesting/funny?

Is the character different enough to be distinct? (A good example of characters that would be are Comics Nightwing and Toon Titans Robin. Technically, both are Dick Grayson, but they are very different people).

THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT. Is the player of the version of the character already in the game down with it? If they are not cool with it, it's an instant NO. We only accept another version of a character if the player already in the game with their version WANTS it.

As you can see, the OC one is way more thorough, especially on the powers end. For both, we care less about word count and more about thoroughness. If there's more to explain, it ought to be a longer app, if there's less to explain, it can be a shorter app.

Note: Word counts are just SUGGESTIONS. Just be thorough. We care most about the Personality, sample post, and Power/ability description sections. You can go over or be a little bit under, as long as you give us the vital details.

Your name:
Your LJ:
Your email:
Your AIM, MSN, or Yahoo handle:
Invited by: (If you are already playing at Trans9, ignore this)
Character's name:
Character's LJ:
Character's canon:
Brief (around 300 words) personality outline of your character:
Brief (around 500 words) history and background of your character OR link to a really good wiki page with their history. In either case, explain where they cut off from the timeline:
Sample post (just a general, everyday, puttering-around-the-ship post; please include a snippet of dialogue):
If the character has magic, mutant, or otherwise metahuman abilities, please explain what they are and outline EXACTLY how they function, as their powers may not work due to the nature of the ship or may need to be limited somehow:
Non-superhuman special abilities of note (Is your character a master ventriloquist? A naturally-occurring super-genius? The best martial artist in the world? Say so here):

If you wish, you can also make a post at the testrun_box comm with "Trans_9" in the subject and link that in the app in lieu of writing a sample post.

Once you're done, send the application to trans9freshmeat@gmail.com, with "App" and the character name in the subject, join trans_9, trans_pilgrims, and trans_channel, with your character's journal, and kick back for a bit. Give us at least a week to approve; after a week you can prod us. While waiting for app approval, you're allowed to hang out in the aim chat and meet everyone if you'd like—heck, you can do that BEFORE you even app.